GEPF funeral benefit: how much it pays and how to claim

The GEPF announced an increase in the funeral benefit that took effect on 1 April 2024. The current GEPF funeral benefits page confirms the amounts.

The amounts before the increase were R15 000 and R6 000. The benefit is paid as a taxable cash lump sum towards the funeral costs. Check whether the person also had a private funeral policy. See how funeral cover payouts work.

The higher amounts apply only where the death occurred after 31 March 2024. A death before that date is paid under the old structure, even if the claim is paid later.

The increase was applied retrospectively for deaths from 1 April 2024. The GEPF said that families whose loved one died from that date and who had already been paid at the old rate are eligible for a top-up. If that is your situation, ask the GEPF how to claim the difference.

For the funeral benefit the GEPF describes an eligible child as:

• a natural or adopted child under the age of 18, or
• a natural or adopted child between the ages of 18 and 22 who is a full-time student at a recognised educational institution.

The GEPF page also covers disabled dependants and stillborn children. Read the wording on the page for your situation, and ask the GEPF if you are unsure whether a child qualifies.

The GEPF page lists these documents:

1. A fully completed Z300 form (Funeral Benefit Claim Form).
2. An original certified copy of the death certificate issued by the Department of Home Affairs.
3. Certified copies of ID documents, and the other items on the checklist on the GEPF funeral benefits page. Work through that checklist so that nothing is missing when you send the claim.

Register the death first if you have not: see how to register a death in South Africa. Ask Home Affairs for enough certified copies, as insurers, banks and the estate will want them too.

The GEPF says it will not pay a funeral undertaker directly. The benefit goes to the family, so agree payment terms with your funeral parlour before the funeral. See how much a funeral costs.

The benefit is taxable, and the GEPF says payment cannot take place until the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has issued a tax directive.

The GEPF's own pages disagree about speed:

• The GEPF funeral benefits page says it will process a funeral benefit claim within 5 days of receiving it, wherever possible.
• The page of the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA), which administers the fund, says it tries to pay within 72 hours of receiving a correctly completed application. A February 2026 Fundtalk newsletter also says 72 hours.

Treat neither figure as a guarantee. Both say "wherever possible", and payment cannot happen before the SARS directive. If the payment is slow, ask the GEPF whether your claim is complete and where the directive stands.

The GEPF page titled "What happens when I die?" still shows the old amounts. It still states R15 000 for the funeral of the pensioner who has died and R6 000, which contradicts the 2024 increase to R20 000 and R8 000. The same page carries the sentence that no payment will be made to a funeral undertaker, which is still useful, but do not rely on its amounts.

If you see R15 000 or R6 000 on a GEPF page, in a pamphlet or on another website, that is the old structure. Use the current funeral benefits page at gepf.co.za/funeral-benefits, and check the date of anything you read.

The GEPF benefit is one of several. This is a short guide, and some of these figures are secondary or dated, as noted.

• UIF: the surviving spouse or life partner must apply within 18 months of the contributor's death. Dependent children or nominated beneficiaries may apply within 14 days after those 18 months if no spouse or partner has claimed. Benefits are paid subject to credits for a maximum of 365 days within a 4-year period. We could not verify a Rand amount for the dependants benefit, and the source is an undated Department of Employment and Labour FAQ.
• Road Accident Fund (RAF): if the death was caused by a road accident, the RAF may refund funeral expenses after the family has paid. It covers a defined list of costs and excludes catering, the tombstone and hiring chairs and tents. It publishes no Rand limit. The full lists are in how much a funeral costs.
• SASSA: there is no separate funeral grant. According to a GroundUp explainer from February 2025, SASSA cancels the grant on the last day of the month of death once the death is registered with Home Affairs. If the grant was not withdrawn in the month of death, the family member who paid for the funeral can claim the unclaimed amount, with the death certificate, both IDs and the funeral invoice and receipt. SASSA pays only that amount. SASSA's Social Relief of Distress grant, for a maximum of 3 months, can apply where the household breadwinner has died and the application is made within 12 months of the death. We could not confirm a claim window for the unclaimed amount from a SASSA page.
• Compensation Fund: for an employee who died on duty, the Compensation Fund pays a funeral benefit. A Fund official stated in January 2023 that it was R18 251 for deaths on or after 1 April 2018. We could not re-confirm the current figure, so check with the Fund.